Chapter 2

It wasn't until dinner was over that Sophia finally forced Ivan to check on me.

"Lily is pregnant and having a hard time. It's only natural that she has a mood swing. Go and cheer her up right now."

He reluctantly stepped into the bathroom and found me sitting on the floor. Frowning, he softened his voice and asked, "Why didn't you call for me if you didn't have the strength to get up? The floor's freezing. What if you end up falling ill?"

I didn't respond.

He brought me another bowl of pasta and held it out to me. "Come on, Lily. You have to eat something."

A familiar, unpleasant smell hit me the moment he brought the bowl close to me. I dug through the pasta and found several pieces of poached chicken at the bottom of the bowl.

"Sophia said that you didn't eat much. You should at least have some protein with your pasta."

I couldn't take it anymore.

"Do I have to follow everything she says? I told you—I don't want any poached chicken. It tastes awful," I snapped.

Holding the bowl, Ivan sighed. He was looking at me with the same calm expression one might use on an unreasonable child.

"My patience has its limits, Lily. What happened to you? Why are you behaving like this?"

With that, he turned and walked away.

…

That night, the both of us were lying in bed while Ivan tapped away on his phone.

When I glanced over, I saw the name "Sophia the Great Nutritionist" at the top of the screen.

Unable to curb my curiosity, I asked, "What are you two talking about at this hour?"

He seemed to be in a good mood. Turning toward me, he placed a kiss on my forehead and replied, "I'm working out the upcoming menu with Sophia. We're calculating the nutritional content of each meal."

I suddenly grew curious. "Where does she work?"

Ivan froze. A split second later, he waved dismissively and responded, "She used to work odd jobs at a convenience store. I ran into her a few years back and helped her move some stock. Afterward, she insisted on repaying me somehow.

"When she heard about your stomach issues, she spent an entire year studying to become a certified nutritionist. After all the effort she put in, we can't just reject her kindness."

"She got herself some phony certification, and now she gets to dictate how I live?" I spat.

Growing irritated, Ivan set his phone down on the bed. "You're being way too sensitive, Lily. She studied for an entire year, so she obviously knows more about nutrition than we do. You can't dismiss someone else's achievements just because you're in a bad mood."

Before I could argue any further, Sophia suddenly entered the room. A cheese stick was hanging from her mouth.

"You should change your bedding, Lily. The material isn't good for the baby."

She didn't even knock.

Frowning, I asked, "Aren't you a nutritionist? Since when did you become an expert on fabrics? What's wrong with the material?"

Sophia couldn't come up with a response.

She had only come in to show off something she'd just come across online. She hadn't actually thought about what was wrong with the fabric.

"If you can't explain what's wrong with it, then get out. I'm going to sleep."

Sophia clutched the bedding in her hands and forced a smile onto her face. "I didn't mean anything by that, Lily."

Ivan gently tucked the covers around me. Frowning, he said, "Sophia was only trying to help. You didn't have to snap at her—"

"The set of bedding she's holding belongs to us." I cut him off. "These two sets are made from the same fabric."

He fell silent.

…

The next day, Sophia prepared four dishes and some soup once again. But this time, there was nothing on the table for me.

She brought over a tray with a plate of mashed potatoes, a spoonful of boiled greens, slices of unseasoned meat, and a small serving of mushrooms cooked without a single drop of oil.

She wiped the grease from her hands onto my teddy bear hand towel before cheerfully saying, "You don't seem to tolerate meat or heavier foods very well, Lily. So, I made something lighter just for you."

Ivan brushed a stray lock of hair from my face and pinched my cheek affectionately.

"Look at how well Sophia treats you," he exclaimed. "She's been taking care of you for three years."

I sat at the table and didn't touch the food.

"Meat and heavier foods are not the problem. The chicken from yesterday wasn't blanched properly. It tasted extremely gamey."

Upon hearing this, Sophia instantly became flustered.

"How is that possible? I cooked them properly. Ivan knows that."

Ivan nodded in agreement and tried to placate me. "Alright, alright. Stop making a fuss over nothing. I know you didn't like yesterday's chicken. Just eat what's been served today."

He hadn't even tasted the food, yet he had already decided that I was making a fuss over nothing.

The aroma of garlic pasta and grilled beef kept wafting toward me from across the table.

I took a bite of the meat on my plate.

It was tough and dry. It barely had any flavor beyond the minimal amount of salt that was added to it.

It tasted awful.

I wasn't going to force myself to put up with such a horrible meal. So, I quickly reached across the table and grabbed a piece of grilled beef before popping it into my mouth.

It was delicious—it tasted nothing like the poached chicken from yesterday's meal.

This time, Sophia didn't stop me. Instead, she merely smiled and glanced at me with a patronizing expression.

"Lily snuck a bite the moment I wasn't paying attention. She must be starving."

My fork froze in my mouth. The beef I had yet to swallow suddenly tasted like nothing.

I knew exactly what that smile meant. She was feeling incredibly smug. She was pleased that I had to scramble for something as basic as a bite of food.

When Ivan noticed that Sophia didn't stop me, he immediately took the opportunity to put some of their food onto my plate.

Moments later, Sophia finally broke the silence again. As if granting me a favor, she said, "Alright—I'll be less strict today. Feel free to help yourself to a cheat meal, Lily."

Ivan chuckled. "Sophia's so considerate. Go on, eat."

I felt suffocated. It felt like everything I did required her approval.

She was permitting me to eat.

I was 26 years old. Why did I need her permission to eat?

I set down my fork. "Who exactly is in charge in this house?"